Editing with Pico
From the UNIX system prompt, you start up Pico by typing
pico filename <Return>
or
pico <Return>
Pico is an easy-to-use, flexible editor with internal help. Simply type in your text, using the arrow keys to move within and among lines. Pico commands are single-letter commands that are typed while holding down the Control (or Ctrl) key. In the command list that follows, the symbol for the Ctrl key is a ^ (caret). More complete information on Pico is available from its internal help (type ^g).
Selected Pico Commands
Commands can be entered in upper or lower case. Unless otherwise noted, the symbol ^ indicates that you should hold down the Control or Ctrl key while typing the letter that follows.
| Command |
Description |
| Navigating the file |
|---|
| Use Right-, Left-, Up- and Down-Arrow keys to move. Also: |
| ^A |
Move to the beginning of the current line. |
| ^E |
Move to the end of the current line. |
| ^V |
Move forward a screen-length. |
| ^Y |
Move backward a screen-length. |
| ^W |
Search for text, ignoring case. |
| Editing |
|---|
| ^D |
Delete the character at the cursor position. |
<del> |
Backspace or Delete key deletes the character to the left of the cursor. |
| ^^ (Ctrl-^) |
Mark cursor position as beginning of selected text. Use the arrow keys to indicate range of text you wish to select. Use ^^ again to "unselect" already selected text. |
| ^K |
Cut the selected text (displayed in inverse characters).
Note: If the selected text is to the left of the cursor, the character under the cursor is not selected. |
| ^U |
Paste ("uncut") the most recently cut text, inserting it at the current cursor position. |
| ^R |
Insert an external file at the current cursor position. |
| Formatting |
|---|
| ^I |
Insert a tab at the current cursor position. |
<tab> |
Same as ^I. |
| ^J |
Justify the current paragraph, joining lines up to the next blank line or indentation. (Paragraphs are delimited by blank lines or indentation.) |
| Help with Pico, Spelling, and Screen Display |
|---|
| ^G |
Get Pico's online help. |
| ^T |
Start up the spelling checker. |
| ^L |
Refresh the screen. |
| Saving Your Work and Exiting |
|---|
| ^O |
Write the current buffer to an external file, saving it. |
| ^X |
Exit pico, saving buffer to a file. |
|
Pico is a trademark of the University of Washington.
|
